Niger State Government has placed a dawn to dusk restriction on commercial and private motorcycles from operating in Minna, the state capital and other major towns in the state. The state government, through this development, have reneged on its earlier free movement for commercial and private motorcycles in the state.
This development is coming exactly a year after the government removed the ban placed on motorcycles by Babangida Aliyu led administration. Former Governor Babangida Aliyu had banned motorcycles because of the incessant accidents and deaths caused by their careless driving but when Governor Sani Bello came into office last year, he immediately removed the ban giving the motorcyclists free hand to move at any time of the day.
In a public announcement signed by the state Commissioner of Information, Jonathan Vatsa yesterday, the state government stated that the order will be strictly enforced between 6 pm and 6 am each day. He urged the executive members of the Association of Commercial Motorcycle Riders of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) to take note of the development and caution their members against violation.
Vatsa stated that any person or group of persons caught contravening the order will be dealt with stressing that law enforcement agents have been put on the alert to deal with offenders.
In another development, people living by the river banks are hereby warned to relocate to the uplands in their neighboring communities in view of the impending overflow of River Niger. This reminder has become necessary in view of the early warning signal issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on the dangers of the overflow of River Niger to the people living in the following communities.